Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior has suggested that Chelsea’s Reece James is one of England’s best players.
James, 22, is a superb right wing-back that has grown into one of the elite Blues players at Stamford Bridge.
The all-action defender looked in superb touch at the start of the season, but he recently suffered an injury setback that could now see him miss the entire World Cup in Qatar.
He’s currently out of action with a knee problem. It’ll be interesting to see if England boss Gareth Southgate is tempted to take him as a wildcard in his 26-man squad, though.
James claimed earlier this month that he’s not completely giving up on his World Cup dream even though he was given a two-month timeframe that he would be injured for.
James one of England’s best
Vinicius, who’s a world-class winger for Madrid and a Brazil international, is regarded as one of the very best attackers around right now.
The 22-year-old winger has praised James, as well as Manchester City’s Kyle Walker, when talking about the very best English stars he’s faced in his career so far.
When discussing facing English players, Vinicius told SPORTbible: “I’ve played against a lot of them and the most difficult opponents were Chelsea’s [Reece] James and [Kyle] Walker, of Manchester City.”
James and Vinicius, both 22, are two stars you expect to be at the top of the sport for the next decade.
It’s a shame that it’s unlikely the pair will be able to battle against each other in Qatar at the World Cup, but perhaps their paths will meet again in the Champions League soon.
Vinicius has shared admiration for Chelsea’s star in the past by posting “great game bro” after facing him last season.
In our view, Madrid’s ace is spot on that James is one of the very best right now that England has to offer. He’s only getting better, too.
It’s a massive blow for both him and his country that he looks set to miss the World Cup, but there’s so much more to come from him in the future.
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